Boca dance studio, whose founders were featured on 'Dance Moms Miami,' values self expression

Eleven-year-old London Buckstein — back arched, arm raised and foot forward — takes a deep breath and looks out at the audience at the start of her first solo for Stars Dance Studio.

Hearing the soft ping of a piano key, she reaches out and spins in contemporary style.

At 45 seconds, a violin joins the piano, raising the tempo for both music and dancer.

At the 2:33 mark, she finishes by tip-toeing backward toward the side drape. One step closer to her dream.

“The technique is a combination of contemporary and a few ballet moves, and the music gets more and more dramatic as it goes along,” said London’s mom, Valerie Zucker. “She’s working on her next solo, which will be much more upbeat and challenging.”

London, of Delray Beach, has been a student at "Stars" since shortly after it opened its Boca Raton location in 2019.

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'So You Think You Can Dance' competitor, 'Dance Moms' choreographer behind studio

Founded in Miami by Victor Smalley and Angel Armas, Stars Dance Studio teaches dancers of all skill levels from ages 3 to 18.

Smalley, a dancer, choreographer and model, was a top-12 competitor on the sixth season of Fox’s competition show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Armas is a Cuban-born choreographer. After the partners opened the studio in 2007, their popularity and fame grew when they were featured in the reality series "Dance Moms Miami," which aired on Lifetime in 2012.

Today, Smalley and Armas provide master classes and choreography sessions internationally. They also have worked with many dancers who have gone on to roles on Broadway, television, and in top ballet companies.

They have become heavily sought after in the dance world for their technique and contemporary choreography, which have helped their students win consistently at both regional and national dance competitions. Their main objective is to educate their students to become better dancers and professionals.

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“We work consistently every day, educating and allowing our dancers to liberate the artist from within, giving them the right tools, movements and techniques to be accepted at any audition, college, company or job in the future,” said Victor's mother, Mayra Smalley, who is business operations manager for Stars Dance.

Aspiring dancers from around the world are taking Stars classes via Zoom, and parents are glad their children are learning skills and moving their bodies.

“Kids today need more than just school,” Zucker said. “They need an outlet. Keep them off their phones, give them positive energy, and friendships. Dance is paving the way for scholarships to college and even work.”

Zucker is grateful for the Boca studio because it raises the bar on its dancers each year. She said she has seen growth and increased passion from London.

“While it's sometimes hard to manage such a busy schedule, this also teaches the kids how to manage their time and get through each day with passion and purpose," she said. “They meet friends and enjoy a great pastime as one big dance family group.”

Instruction is available in many types of dance, including ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, ballroom, tap, hip-hop, modern, acrobatic and pointe, as well as stretching, conditioning, technique, improv and choreography.

The studio teaches students “to become professionals by being disciplined and working hard to become the dancer and human being they want to be," Mayra Smalley said.

Victor Smalley's stint on “So You Think You Can Dance,” which ran in 2009, allowed him to showcase his talent around the world. It helped cement his reputation as a top dance instructor in contemporary for male dancers, attracting male students to the studio.

Stars Dance Studio's profile was raised higher after it was tapped for “Dance Moms Miami." Smalley and Armas did eight episodes, and dancers relocated from all over the country to dance at Stars.

“We have fans everywhere,” Mayra Smalley said. “Victor and Angel travel every weekend to different cities to teach master classes and do group and solo choreography with meet-and-greets where they sign autographs.”

But they don't neglect their dancers closer to home.

In pursuit of a winning solo, London spent three months preparing. She needed more practice, so the studio her gave her extra time and she put in weekend hours.

“London's goals are to become a skilled and versatile dancer who can compete in all types of competitions with the dance studio as a group and also with solos for herself,” Zucker said. “This studio is set apart due to the life-long commitment of dance by Angel and Victor and for that matter, Mayra too. Their commitment to taking the kids to another skill level sets them apart.”

For more information, call Stars Dance Studio at 786-230-4981.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca's Stars Dance Studio run by choreographers on 'Dance Moms Miami'